Chapter 5:
He never quite knew how he obtained the name “Jabberwok”, but Ivan didn’t care too much. It had a nice ring to it, like it was some ferocious mythical beast from ages past and to be honest, he rather liked it. It had grown on him all these years.
The crunching of branches next to him didn’t even warrant his surprise. “Hello, Cheshire Cat.”
From the shadows of the nearby trees emerged a punk-looking man; black pants with chains hanging off the edges, heavy boots, purple and yellow ripped tiger-striped shirt and ears and tail mimicking his shirt. His nails shimmered with black polish and his many rings reflected the pale moonlight. “Hello, Jabberwok.”
The hulking monster wrapped up in a black trench coat and pink scarf turned around. “What are you doing out here, Arthur? Don’t you know there’s a monster in these woods?”
Arthur’s green eyes sparkled with mischief and he flicked some of his messy blonde hair out of the way. “Of course. You’re looking at him.” He bowed dramatically, garnering a slight chuckle from Ivan.
“Perhaps in your dreams, kitty.”
“Oh, come now, Ivan~.” Arthur slunk closer to the outlaw, his tail slithering around his legs like a snake. “I have some news you might want to hear.”
“What?”
“It seems that the King of Heart Castle’s bitchy wife is blaming you for the murder of the Duke of Red.”
That got Ivan’s interest. He had seen the duke wandering around his forest lately, but he found no reason to kill him. After all, the duke was pretty much dead the first time he found him, so he figured that the man would die on his own. And even when he saw he was recovering with help from a few White Kingdom citizens he didn’t feel the need to kill him. He wasn’t worth his time.
“Good for me, I suppose.”
Usually the blonde cat would’ve made a quip about this, but there was one serious point he had to make. “And he’s out for your blood since you murdered his precious Vash.”
The Jabberwok paused, and a chilling smile iced over his face. “Then let him come.”
~*~
“You may stay here.” A pretty little maid opened the grand white doors of one of the guest rooms of White Castle. The inside was as brilliantly monochrome as the rest of the castle: mainly white with sparkles of blue accents to give some variation.
Vash nodded wearily, exhausted from the overload of information as well as the exteremly long trip from the Jabberwok’s Forest.
The huge, plush bed suddenly seemed really inviting.
He flopped down (very gracefully, I might add) and rolled onto his back, staring at the vaulted ceiling. At least now he might be able to process everything.
“A problem?” Vash repeated, tilting his head.
“Yes.” The White Queen sighed and tugged on the edges of his dress nervously. “I-I have recently gotten word that your younger sister… may be alive.”
His sister… alive? No, it couldn’t be. She died right in front of his eyes. But if the rumor was indeed true, then who did he see die?
~*~
Within Heart Castle, Sisia was experiencing a similar scene, albeit with another guide and in another place.
The brunette Head Gardener – Antonio – was excitedly bringing her to her guest room. He was dressed quite a bit like the Head Butler: patchwork clothing, scuffed up boots, and a threadbare hat. Though Antonio had a bit of dirt on his face, but that was just because he worked outside all day. And it’s not like you could notice it, he had a rich tan to cover it.
“This isn’t my usual job, but I don’t mind since Francis can’t show you the way…” That’s right. He had told her that Francis – one of the higher-up butlers – was “busy” with one of the maids and couldn’t come show her around. But judging by the emphasis put on “busy”, she didn’t really feel the need to know with what.
“Thank you.” She said with a respectful head nod. “I really appreciate this.”
“Oh, no problem.” A broad smile encompassed Antonio’s face. He seemed like he was just a constant ball of sunshine around everyone. “It’s not like I can say no.”
That kind of scared her a bit. “Is the King that scary?” He didn’t seem that bad, but she knew quite a few people who could hide their true face well.
“No, it’s not the king.” The brunette shuddered and rubbed his arms like a cold wind had blown through the corridor and only affected him. “It’s the queen. She’s pretty much crazy. Deny her, and you’ll lose your head.”
Sisia made a mental note to never cross her.
